Books by Elizabeth Montagu

This four-volume edition of the letters of Mrs Elizabeth Montagu was edited by her nephew and adopted son Matthew (1762-1831) and published in 1809-13. Volume 1 begins with a short biography, and covers the period from her earliest preserved letter, written in 1732, up to 1741.

This 1769 work is a spirited defence of Shakespeare against the criticism of Voltaire, who claimed that his work was inferior to that of modern French dramatists. Voltaire is especially condemned for his efforts to measure Shakespeare against Corneille using an inadequate French translation of the English dramatist's work.

Bluestocking, author and hostess, Elizabeth Montagu's influence extended far beyond literary scholarship. Compiled by a relative, Emily Climenson, and published in 1906, this collection of her correspondence provides an excellent introduction to the culture and politics of eighteenth-century polite society.